Your hearing aids are vital instruments of communication and connection, and your audiologist programmed them especially for your hearing needs. Hearing needs change, however. Most types of hearing loss are progressive, meaning your hearing will continue to degrade over time, even with treatment. Therefore, in order to continue hearing your best, it’s important to stay on top of repeat hearing tests. Let’s discuss some signs that you might be ready for a repeat hearing test sooner rather than later.
1: It’s Been Five Years (Or More)
We strongly encourage you to be proactive with checking your hearing, rather than waiting for a sign. To give you some numbers, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that you get your hearing tested every five years between the ages of 50 and 64, then every one to three years after you turn 65. If you know it’s been a few years since your last test, it’s wise to come in now and start the habit of rechecking.
2: Having a Hard Time Hearing in Noisy Places
Speech-in-noise difficulties are among the most prominent signs of hearing loss. This could look like:
- Constantly mishearing words when trying to talk in a crowded place
- Feelings of confusion when you’re in a group conversation with lots of speakers
- Feeling overwhelmed if there’s background noise, like music or traffic
- Irritation at distracting sounds
All of these indicate that your brain is spending a lot of energy trying to hear in a noisy setting. When you first started wearing hearing aids, this issue should have become less noticeable, so if it’s creeping back up again, it’s time for a retest.
3: Turning Your Devices’ Volume Up
Do you find yourself constantly turning up the volume on your hearing aids in order to hear better? That’s a good indication that your hearing loss has progressed beyond what your current settings can address.
4: Listener’s Fatigue
As mentioned above in the section about hearing in noisy places, hearing loss will cause your brain to work harder to hear, expending valuable mental energy in the process. This results in a phenomenon known as listener’s fatigue, in which you feel mentally (and sometimes physically) exhausted after listening for a long time. If you’ve ever felt like you needed a long nap after a lecture or long conversation, that’s probably listener’s fatigue.
5: Your Loved Ones Are Bringing It Up
Our brains are very skilled at adapting and coping, meaning that your brain may develop ways to fill in the blanks of hearing loss before you even realize that your hearing loss has progressed. In these circumstances, the insight from people around you is invaluable. If your friends and loved ones have mentioned that your hearing doesn’t seem as sharp lately, take their concerns seriously and schedule an appointment for a retest.
What Happens at a Repeat Hearing Test
At an appointment for an updated hearing test, you’ll go through many of the same steps you did at your first hearing test appointment: the headphones, the soundproof room, etc. But now that you already have hearing aids, the actions taken on your results will look a little different. Depending on the results of your hearing test, your audiologist will likely do one of two things: adjust your hearing aid settings to accommodate your new hearing needs or recommend new hearing aids.
If you’ve noticed any of these signs and know it’s time for an updated audiogram, contact Charleston ENT & Allergy today to make an appointment!